Just Curious
by Deathangel125
Summary: Curiosity killed the cat, but Trowa got the prize. yaoi, Trowa Duo, sweetness and sap
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: Not mine. I wish they were, but sadly, they belong to someone else with a lot more money than I.

Pairings: Past 1x2, 3+2

Warnings: There be men in them there hills, doing things they shouldn't be. If you don't like it, don't read it. Yaoi, with a dash of lime. Trowa POV

Special Thanks, as always, to the bestest beta reader ever. Thanks TanithNight! Without you the commas and dashes would be the death of me.

AN: Feedback always appreciated.

JUST CURIOUS – PART 1

I know I'm staring at the man in the corner of the hotel room, but I can't stop myself. Without looking away, I address the third member of our team. "Is he going to be all right?"

Heero glances up from his computer, giving the other man a look that lasts only an instant before asking, "Duo, explosives?" Duo's only reply is a grunt, but it seems to satisfy Heero, the leader of this assignment. "He's calculating the amount of explosives he needs to blow out the corner of the building where the drugs are being stored without spreading them," he explains to me.

"So he's guessing?"

"The amounts will be precisely what we need to get rid of the drugs and not destroy the warehouse. He knows how important the rest of the data is."

I have my doubts and express them. "He isn't using any paper or a calculator...not even a pencil."

"The figures are in his head. They will be correct, Trowa."

"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a brain." Duo stands and stretches, much like a cat, reaching his arms toward the cracked tiles on the ceiling. His movements aren't rushed as he comes to the table Heero and I have been using to plan our attack. I can't stop staring as one hand casually slides up his shirt to reveal the pale skin, absently scratching his side as he leans over Heero's back, typing with one hand. "This is what we need. Send the request to base and I'll pick them up in two hours at the arranged drop point."

"That's cutting it close," Heero grumbles, pushing Duo's hand away to relay the message.

Duo removes his hand from the computer, yet remains leaning against the cobalt-eyed man, something Heero never allows from anyone else. "One of the compounds I need becomes unstable after a certain amount of time. I'll pick up the explosives and come back here to pick you two up."

"We need to go over the plan with you," I state, blinking when violet eyes unexpectedly pierce me. "We made some alterations while you were busy."

"I am capable of listening and thinking at the same time, Trowa. I heard the changes you made. I know my part; don't fuck up yours." After briefly squeezing Heero's shoulder, he grabs his jacket. "I have some other things to pick up. Be ready when I get back; the changes you two made puts us on an even tighter schedule than before."

I watch through the window as he gets into the jeep we've been assigned, wondering when this fascination with him began. It hasn't been a long time yet it isn't recent, either. At times it feels like I woke up one day and was desperate to know something…anything…about him.

"You shouldn't treat him like a fool."

The words startle me as much as the gruff tone. "I didn't mean to, I've never seen someone able to calculate amounts of explosives in their head before. I didn't intend to sound…cruel."

"If you name a set of coordinates in space he can tell you what is there, if anything. He can also calculate a launch trajectory in his head."

"Can you do that?" If anyone else could, it would be Heero with his computer-quick brain.

"No. I've travelled with him often, and he's never been wrong. I stopped checking his calculations the third or fourth time we flew together."

As always, Heero's comment leaves me questioning their relationship. Obviously he and Duo get along well. Heero is more accepting of the causal way Duo touches him and Duo appears to understand the grunts and growls Heero's vocabulary can sometimes consist. There are a dozen of rumors about the two, from our friends and the people that work with Heero and I. Neither one of them has ever confirmed or denied those rumors.

Intending to ask, I open my mouth but what comes out is totally different from what I had planned to say. "What does Duo do?"

"You know his part, Trowa." Heero doesn't even look up at me.

"What does he do when he isn't consulting with the Preventers?"

Now I have Heero's full attention. His eyes narrow at me, "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious." That's harder to admit than I believed it would be, and my partner seems even more suspicious. "No one knows anything about him, Heero; In our line of work that's suspicious and generates curiosity. There are dozens of rumors at the office. He comes in whenever he's called, appearing out of nowhere, and then leaves when the job is done. Does he have a home, a social life…a boyfriend?" I finally get a reaction when I mention a boyfriend in the form of a glare and a deep blush but now that I've started asking questions I can't make myself stop. "Everyone has a picture of Duo in their minds of a carefree man with no ties to anything and that doesn't take life seriously. That image doesn't fit the serious man that just left, so who is he, really?"

Heero looks toward the grimy, cracked glass of the window, face still flushed from the boyfriend question, although his glare has disappeared. "I don't think anyone knows Duo really. He's the happy person he seems to be and the one that can make complex calculations in his head. He's affectionate and open and he's cautious and wary. He's a puzzle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a taco with an unbreakable shell." Heero sighs, looking back at me, "He doesn't have a boyfriend that I know. He has a job he can leave if he needs. That's all I'll tell you, Trowa. Anything else you can ask yourself. We need to begin preparations."

He stands, shutting down the laptop and packing it away carefully. Heero might consider the topic settled, but I don't. "Why aren't you his boyfriend? You care for each other."

Heero doesn't pause as he packs up the various electronics set up in the room. "I was, for a while."

It's difficult to figure out which is more of a shock, that they had been together and kept it a secret, or the real regret I can hear in Heero's voice. "Why aren't you anymore? You still have feelings for him, don't you?"

"People believe I'm cold or hard to talk to; between the two of us, Duo turned out to be the one who couldn't open up. There were parts of him I could never reach. Eventually, I realized what we had wasn't enough and ended it."

Having to be satisfied with that response, I help pack our equipment into foam-lined cases, making separate stacks for what we'll need on our assignment and what we're done with. Placing a set of night-vision goggles into a case, I freeze with my fingers on the lenses as Heero speaks. "If you want my permission or approval, you have it."

"Permission to do what?"

"Pursue him, date him, whatever it is you want. Duo and I have been over for a long time – long enough for me not to mind if he has relationships."

"Where did you get the idea I wanted to? I was simply curious, Heero," I manage to say, packing the goggles with excruciating care.

"I've seen the way you watch him. I've noticed how you pay close attention if his name is brought up. When he walks into a room you suddenly find something that needs to be done and leave."

"That's not true," I deny, knowing it is. "I'm curious, just like everyone else."

Heero is quiet, apparently content to let the subject drop. I wish I hadn't asked all of those questions, because I don't know how to deal with what Heero is telling me. Do I really act so strange around Duo? Is it so obvious to anyone other than Heero?

"He thinks you don't like him."

The statement has me blinking, turning to my partner with a frown. "What?"

"Duo sees the same things I do, but interprets them differently. He believes you watch him because you don't trust him and you leave because you don't approve of him. Which one of us is right, Trowa? Are you attracted to him or do you hate him?"

"I don't hate him," I reply, then backtrack. "That doesn't have to mean I'm attracted to him, either. Like I said, I'm curious about him."

"If you aren't attracted to him, you're either blind or dead. Everyone is attracted to Duo." Heero meets my eyes, his brows lifting, "You've never thought of what it would be like to see him naked, writhing under you, or on top of you? All the energy carries over to when he's in bed, too. Think of that intensity focused on you, hands running over -"

"Enough!" All the blood in my head has rushed south, and Heero is smirking, clearly amused by my reaction. Turning away to hide the all too obvious bulge straining my pants, I hiss, "He's attractive, Heero. You know that. Why say things like that? To prove you were together? I'd already assumed that the first time I saw him touch you and you didn't threaten to shoot him."

"Why are you aroused?"

If Heero is really that dense he's been hiding it well all this time. "I'm gay, Heero. For all you know I was picturing you instead of Duo, or Wufei, or a dozen other men I know."

"Why won't you just admit you want to sleep with him, at the very least? It wouldn't be a surprise. You have no idea how many men proposition him when he comes into the office."

"How many?"

"A lot, but you don't care, right? He's just another attractive man to you."

I do care and I don't think I'm fooling Heero at all. Working in silence, I try to figure out what I should say, eventually giving up and going for the truth. Heero is my partner, and there aren't many people that know me as well as he does. "If I'd known about it, I probably would have hurt them. No one should treat him like an object."

"He's more than just an attractive man to you."

"He is, but I don't know what that means." I hold up a hand when he narrows dark blue eyes at me. "Heero, I'm not trying to avoid the question. I really don't understand what I feel."

"Emotions have never been our strong suit, have they?"

The laugh I give is more than a little bitter. "Don't be offended but I believed I had a better grasp on my emotions than you– that I comprehended them better. It's hard to admit that of the two of us, I'm the one confused."

"I'm not offended," Heero assures me softly. "You used to understand what you felt. Duo probably has you mixed up. For me, it was the opposite. He helped me gain clarity of my emotions. I bet if you spend more time with him you could sort out what you feel."

"That's not likely." Setting the last box on the stack we would leave behind to be picked up by a support team, I shake my head. "If you had a choice would you spend time with a person you thought liked you or one you thought despised you? Not a real hard choice."

"You're right. What if we could come up with a way for you to be with him awhile? You could talk to him."

The suggestion was ludicrous. Even so, I find some hope, "What are you going to do? Lock us in a closet?"

"Let me think about it until we get back to headquarters."

"Heero, are you sure you want to help me talk to Duo? There could be another chance for the two of you." This bothers me, but knowing what I do about Heero, I won't take away a possible chance for him to be happy.

"I still care for Duo, but not in the same way I used to. We weren't meant to be together. He needs someone he can open up to and that isn't me. It took a while for me to admit it never was. I've been wondering for some time if you are the one he needs but there hasn't been an opening to discuss it before now."

With perfect clarity, I understand I had given him the opportunity by asking seemingly innocent questions. From the leer on his face, I guess he knows I realize this. Not taking the bait, I roll my eyes. "Let's get ready. He won't be happy if we're running late."

"Could you imagine what he would say if we told him why we were running late?" Heero laughs at the notion and I find myself doing the same, but weakly. It's going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine. Somebody else's. There, I said it.

Warnings: Look in the first part. They're all there.

JUST CURIOUS – PART 2

As Heero predicted, the explosions Duo had planned were perfect. Moving down the hallway I give Duo silent praise, checking my watch and wincing. His part of the plan is evidently going off without a hitch. Mine, on the other hand, has been chock-full of delays and obstacles. I'm already running a full five minutes behind and am staring at yet another problem.

Six armed guards stand between me and the lab I need to get inside, where there was only supposed to be one. Either our informant was wrong, or security has been beefed up at some point in the last twenty-four hours.

"Status," Heero's flat voice in my ear has me backing further into a corner, hoping his voice doesn't carry to the guards currently carrying on a conversation between themselves.

"Clear here. Target is gone, repeat, target has been destroyed." Duo is, of course, speaking of the drugs he had been charged with getting rid of.

My hesitation is clearly noticed, but it surprises me Duo is the one that asks the dreaded question. "Ten-by T?" he calls me by the letter of my first name, as he despises the numerical designations we were given by the scientists during the wars, later picked up by Oz.

"There have been complications," I admit quietly, aware of the men mere meters away from my current position. "I'm off schedule by large margin."

"Can you complete your task?" Heero remains professional, but I can hear the worry in his tone. We need this information.

"I will." I refuse to fail.

"Ro, get the hell out. I'll help T."

"Damn it." The frustration in Heero's voice is easy to hear, but Duo ignores it, just like he does most things he doesn't want to hear.

"My job's done. Your part is the most important, but we need T's info or it's worthless." I can hear heavy breathing coming through the com, and know Duo is already on his way, despite Heero's tone.

Heero seems to hear it, as well. Clearly resigned that Duo is going to do whatever he wants, our team leader states seriously, "You have six minutes."

"Yeah, yeah. Get out, Ro. We'll meet you back at the house for a beer. T, what's the problem?"

"Six armed guards at the end of corridor F. Our intel said there would only be one."

"Ain't that a pisser? We need speed and not finesse, right? Isn't there a water line leaving the lab?"

"I believe so." Already I'm getting worried. I have a bad feeling Duo is about to throw a wrench into our carefully crafted plan…not like there's much of a choice, but some warning would be nice.

"Good. Cover your head. Flash bang coming," is all the warning I get before I see an object whiz through the air past me.

There is enough time to identify the object before I'm taken down at the knees, too stunned to fight off the lean body that covers mine. It's a good thing because I realize it's Duo, shielding me from the blinding light, leaping off immediately after the explosion to chastise me. "Moron! I said cover your head. Were you just gonna stand there?"

"I'm used to agents being clearer about their plans."

"I'm not an agent."

Any response I could come up with would be unheard, Duo already running toward the stunned guards. By the time I reach his side, all six are on the floor unconscious. Duo is grinning crookedly at me, barely breathing hard. "After you, T. You've got the codes," he gestures at the door lock.

I'm amazed there aren't sirens going off all over the place and mention it as I open the door to the lab by keying in the code Duo spoke of. Finding a secure terminal, I quickly find the files I need and copy them before uploading a virus Heero created that will wipe out the entire network within minutes.

"There's no alarm because there's no one awake to set them off. We've got about two minutes before someone wakes up or the unconscious guards get found."

"What about the four guards I passed coming down the corridor?" I work while talking, aware of Duo moving about the room.

"All down."

"Impossible. The only way you could have done it that fast was by killing them," I contest, hoping that isn't how he got to me so quickly. The war is over and I hold life in high regard, even lives of scum.

"I was on the move when you didn't reply right away. There had to be something wrong to keep you from responding."

That Duo knows me so well is disturbing but I don't have time to question him about it now, determined to do my job. The hiss of pneumatic doors grabs my attention and I look over in time to see the glass doors sealing us inside the lab. "They discovered our position?"

"Not yet. I shut the doors. It's the only way to keep the blast contained in this room. You almost done?"

"Finished. Blast?" I stand, leaving the virus to work on its own and tucking the data disk into a case that's practically indestructible, shoving it into the tight pack I have pressed against my chest. It's the best way to carry small, breakable objects, specially designed for that use by the Preventers research lab. "What are you doing?" I ask when I find Duo prying open the lid of what appears to be a large water tank.

"You can swim, right? Or at least hold your breath for a few minutes?"

"I can swim," I reply. I can see a plan forming in his mind. At least, I think I can. His mind works in really unusual ways.

He nods as he straps his own bag to him securely, a backpack he brings on all assignments with the Preventers. "Good. This tank empties into the sewer system. There's a tunnel that goes topside about six miles away."

"Are you out of your mind? If you're wrong, we could get flushed into the ocean." Not the most tactful thing to say when you've decided you might have feelings for someone, but I do better with a thought-out plan, this is why Heero and I work so well together.

"Ocean's too far away. If I'm wrong, the farthest we'll go is a lake about ten miles from here." Duo looks at me from where he is crouching in the floor, hands competently programming a timer. "I'm not wrong. Trust me, Trowa."

His eyes are pleading with me to trust in him, leaving me no choice. "Fine, but if we die, I'll make your life hell for eternity."

"We prolly ain't going the same directions after we die, but I'll keep an eye for you in my private spa in hell just in case you get tired of all the pretty angels fluttering around."

Half of the time I'm convinced Duo is completely insane and the other half I'm sure he's saner than anyone else I know. This is one of those times I'm positive he's lost his mind. Why the hell he's talking so calmly about death and hell, I have no idea. It's terrifying to realize I do trust him, even though I'm not sure about his sanity status or understand his thought processes, and I always have. Why in the world do I have feelings for someone so convoluted and confusing?

There's no time to figure that out as we hear shouts from the corridor. Duo tosses something into the corner of the room, filling it with smoke, then grabs my arms and pushes me toward the open tank, climbing in easily above me. "Start swimming to the bottom. When the release valve opens, we need to be as close to the hatch as possible or we could drown. We've got five seconds after I close the lid to get there, and the bomb will go off after thirty. We need to be long gone by then." Seeing the expression on my face, he rolls his eyes dramatically, "It should take at least two minutes for them to get through the door; I jammed it with my own code. No one will be killed...it'll just stop them from figuring out where we went, and hopefully they'll think we were killed in the explosion, at least until they can go through the remains of the room."

Having already learned my lesson about questioning his calculations, I nod once and dive down as he reaches for the lid. Murky blackness surrounds us, water pushing in from every side. Forgetting which way is down I falter, latching onto the hand that grabs me and trusting Duo to get us out of here so we don't die a slow death by drowning.

Those five seconds seems more like five minutes, but the water is abruptly sucked out of the tank, taking us with it, rolling head over heels in the torrent. Somehow, Duo never lets go of me, his hand gripping mine as if it's a lifeline. I feel him jerk once and his body slams into mine, but he never lets go.

Unable to do more than tumble at the mercy of the water, I can suddenly recall every moment where he's had a kind word or a smile for me, surprising myself with how many of those memories there are. Perhaps it's fitting that the last image in my mind is of Duo staring at me with those vibrant eyes, entreating me to trust in him.

The water is suddenly no longer supporting us, spitting us out on a concrete floor. Duo is trapped under me as I cough helplessly; clearing water out of my throat I sucked down in surprise. Pushing off him is a chore, my arms and legs weak for no reason at all, but I finally manage, realizing he's muttering under his breath.

"Gol-durned heavy sum-bitch landin' on me like ima bed or sumptin'. Don't know how hard that is on certain parts, an' my head aches like a tree just got drilled."

"Damn it, speak English!"

"That was English," he snaps, then begins to cough, rolling onto his side.

Letting him have some privacy as he spits out water I give the tunnel a good look, glad it isn't as dark as the water tank. It's not bright, but at least it's not that suffocating black that can't be penetrated. Unfortunately, it smells exactly like what it is…a sewer. Breathing through my mouth, I look back at him as he ceases coughing. "What kind of English was that?"

He takes a deep breath as his eyes also study the tunnel. Without looking at me, he shrugs, "L2 slang, most of it. It takes a while to understand. I tend to say strange things if I get my brains knocked around."

Remembering the way his body had slammed into mine while tumbling through the water, I ask him, "Are you all right?"

Without waiting for an answer I pull him close, sitting on my knees as I inspect his head as well as I can in the dim light. It doesn't take long to find the gash at his hairline above his left eye, going all the way from above his nose to his earlobe. He hisses as I prod and poke at it, feeling the sticky warmth of blood seeping from the wound. Knowing he's usually prepared for every emergency, I question him, "Have you got a first aid kit and a light? We need to get this bandaged or it could get infected."

"I have both in my pack. You're gonna have to help me get it off." Duo's voice is subdued, something that catches my attention. He's rarely quiet unless something is very, very wrong. During the war, Quatre used to say all was well until Duo got quiet. That's when the shit usually hit the fan.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm pretty sure I dislocated my shoulder. I need the pack off so I can put it back."

"Damn it, Duo, how did you get so banged up when I didn't get hurt at all?"

"Because, unlike you, I had my eyes open and could see the obstacles we were going to hit."

This means he was hurt protecting me; I don't have to ask to know that. Shamed at the rough way I've been treating him, I try to be gentle as I remove his pack. It has to be painful, but the only sound from him is a hiss as I ease the strap over his shoulder, feeling the way it's not where it's supposed to be. "What do you want to do first? Deal with your shoulder or your head?"

"Help me up so I can fix my shoulder."

From his tone I know he doesn't want any help, so I get him on his feet, holding him still for a moment so I can wipe the blood from his eyes, then force myself to let him go. I turn away once he gets to the wall, digging in his pack for a flashlight and the first-aid kit, shaking my head when I find them taped together.

Setting what I need on top of Duo's bag, I wait. Seconds later there is the sound of flesh hitting a solid surface, the sickening pop of a bone going back in joint and a wail of pain. Before I can think about what I'm going to do, I'm beside him, catching him before he can hit the floor. He isn't unconscious but he's close, eyes shut as he breathes hard.

Neither one of us speaks as I pick him up and carry him back to where his pack lies, realizing how small and delicate he is. Awake and moving Duo seems larger than life, exuding an energy that makes it easy to forget how petite he actually is. Within the circle of my arms I can feel how tiny his waist is and the way his ribs are prominent; I can easily feel the outlines of the bones where my hands hold him. "Do you ever eat?"

"When I get a chance," Duo stuns me by answering. I assumed his pain was too great to speak. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't have a lot of spare time, between doing favors for Une and Howard bossing my ass around all the time."

"Hold this," I shove the flashlight at him after I set him down, turning it on and aiming it toward his head, attempting to keep the light out of his eyes at the same time. Since he's given me an opening, I use it while I clean the wound, hoping to hide how concerned I am at the amount of blood. "You work for Howard?"

"If that's what you want to call it. Damn man is a slave driver."

"This is going to need some stitches, Duo."

"That doesn't surprise me. Everything you need should be in the kit."

I find needles of various sizes, and several different types of thread. "You really do bring everything you could possibly need, don't you? Is this silk?"

Duo glances down to see the blue thread and nods, "You never know what's gonna happen on a job for Une…or Howard, if it comes to that. I've had to repack that kit so many times I keep a trunk full of replacement supplies in my bunk."

The bunk comment catches me off guard. "You work on a ship?"

There must be some surprise in my voice because he laughs softly, the sound coming from deep in his throat. "Why is everyone so shocked when they figure out what I do? I work with Howard and the Sweepers, going between deep-sea and deep-space salvage, depending on where I'm needed at the time."

"And you still manage to come when Une calls. Howard doesn't mind you leaving?"

Duo doesn't reply right away, likely aware of how difficult it is to stich torn skin while a patient is moving. Only when I set the needle aside does he answer, "That was the deal when I signed on. Une was upset I wouldn't agree to be an agent, so I told her I'd help out when my particular skills were needed. When I went to Howard, he said he was okay with it, even though he argues every time I'm called in. Old man worries like a mom."

Applying a bandage to the deepest part of the wound first, I leave my hand for a moment longer than necessary, surprised how warm the skin is at the edges of the gauze. His quizzical glance has me dropping my hand and clearing my throat in hopes of easing the tightness there. "Salvage is a dangerous business, Duo."

Amused violet eyes roll to look at me. "I don't have to go to work and worry about being shot at every day, Trowa. Salvage can be dangerous unless you know the risks and minimize them."

"What are the risks and how do you minimize them?" I'm stalling so I can keep Duo from moving for a few more minutes, not only because I want to make sure he doesn't have a concussion, but also because I'm enjoying the feel of his body against mine. He doesn't complain or question me, but he does frown slightly.

After a few seconds, he shrugs. "Depends on where you are and what you're doing at the time. In the water you have to keep an eye on your air pressure and your oxygen while watching for other dangers, like sharks or other salvagers. People can be more dangerous than the wildlife, to be honest. In addition to that, you have to trust the person you're partnered with to know what they're doing. It's the same when you're in space, other than having to keep an eye out for space debris that can kill you in an instant."

"Sounds much safer than getting shot at," I reply wryly.

I can feel his laugh more than hear it. "Like I said, you minimize the risks, but you can't eliminate all of them. That's why you have to be close to your partner."

"You have the same partner for sea and space?" Just how close is he with his partner? Is it the same type of relationship I have with Heero, or is it closer than that?"

"Guy named Kip. He's been with the crew since before the war, so I know him pretty well." It's a shock to feel him touch my face briefly, "I said he's my partner, Trowa. Not my lover."

"That's not what I meant. I was just curious what you did when you aren't helping Une."

His eyebrows lift, wincing when the stitches pull, his hand dropping instantly. I immediately miss that soft touch of calloused fingers. "I do salvage. I help the Preventers when they need me. That's pretty much it." Struggling to sit up, he shakes his head fiercely. "Sorry for assuming anything; must be the knock on the noggin."

I've hurt him. I can hear it in his voice. My first instinct is to let it go and act like nothing happened. Unfortunately, my instinct is also telling me if I do that I'll lose any chance of getting to know him better. When he gets to his feet he sways, the injury and blood loss making him light-headed. Grabbing him by the waist, I support him until he can stand on his own. "You were right. I wanted to know." I don't elaborate because I don't need to.

"I'm really not an idiot."

"I already knew that."

He glances up at me for an instant, then looks away with a nod. "We should get going. Heero will be looking for us soon."

"Have any idea what he'll do when we don't come out of the warehouse?"

"Lucky for us, Heero knows me better than anyone. He'll figure out what I planned to do. We need to go this way," he says as he points to the right.

"How do you know?" I pick up his pack before he has a chance, putting my own bag inside it along with the first-aid kit but keeping the flashlight in my hand in case the tunnel gets darker than it already is.

"I looked up the plans for the sewer system before I picked you and Heero up. It never hurts to have a back-up plan, just in case. Not that I don't trust you and Heero...it's a force of habit. You guys didn't have enough escape routes to make me comfortable."

"Minimize the risks?" The thought is actually amusing. Heero and I believed our plan was foolproof… Duo had assumed it wasn't.

"Something like that. I memorized the plans in case we needed another way out. It's an old habit."

Walking beside him, I match his pace. He keeps his arm still without complaining about how much it aches. Having my shoulder dislocated before, I know he must be in pain. "Thanks, by the way. For shielding me while we were in the water," I explain when he glances at me with a questioning expression.

"It's no problem. I didn't want you messing up that pretty face of yours."

The off-hand comment has me smiling. It's so like Duo to make such a statement out of the blue to brush off any gratitude. I let it go, just as he expects. We travel in silence for a while, until I get him to stop with a hand on his wrist. "Let me check your shoulder. Do we have anything to make a sling out of?"

"We can use my t-shirt, but you'll have to help me get this top shirt off."

Either the Gods have decided to take pity on me or curse me, I'm not sure which. First, I make the mistake of wishing for more time to get to know Duo better and we end up together in a sewer. Now this happens. My fingers fumble as I help him pull his long-sleeve black shirt up; aware he's watching me with amused eyes. "Stop laughing at me, damn it."

"I'm not laughing. It's cute how terrified you are that I'm gonna bite or something."

"I'm not worried."

"I'm not gonna jump you, either. Stop stressing. I'm not so desperate I'd jump on the first person that touches me. You're safe."

Honestly I don't speak first and think later unless I'm around Duo. He brings out that side of me. It's one of the reasons I usually make sure to be somewhere else when he's around. "You'd have to be desperate to jump me?" Good grief, I need to staple my lips together. I'll use stitches since there isn't a stapler handy at this second. Thank god I manage to get the shirt over his head before I say anything else.

My face burns as we work his t-shirt over his head, barely managing not to stare at the sight of his bare chest, and then struggle to put the long-sleeved shirt back on. I'm thankful for the dim light that hides how I'm blushing, the burning of my face telling me that it's bright red. I grimace at the sound of his harsh breathing, wincing in sympathy at the hiss of pain as I bind his arm so it's immovable. "Are you going to be all right?"

"That's gonna hurt like a bitch tomorrow, but I'll live. No, I wouldn't have to be desperate to jump you. I said I wouldn't jump the first person that touched me. My schedule doesn't leave a lot of time for socializing."

On the move again, I try to decide if he finds me attractive or not. He said I have a pretty face and he wouldn't have to be desperate. I'm going to drive myself crazy trying to decipher his riddle replies. It's time to think of something else. "You said Heero knows you better than anyone else; he says he doesn't know you at all."

After stopping momentarily at another juncture, Duo takes a right turn then glances at me, eyes curious. "What else does he say about me?"

"That you won't let anyone close. That's why things didn't work out between you two."

Giving me a one-shouldered shrug, Duo speaks softly, "Heero's right. I don't like people getting close. It might have been different if we had more time, but when you're the guy that saved the world people always seem to want something from you. Our schedules were too different to let me have time to convince myself it was okay to let him know me the way he said he wanted."

I think about this, shaking my head in confusion. "Said he wanted?"

"He said he wanted to know me better and acted like it when we were together. The problem was that he didn't want to make time to see me. I tried, Trowa, I really did. Hell, I even took time off work. I spent three weeks on Earth once, waiting to see him so we could talk. He had spare time for two days, at the very end of my stay. By then, I realized he didn't want to know me as badly as he thought he did."

"He was working?" I tried to recall a time when Heero mentioned Duo was staying for a while but couldn't.

"He had two weeks off from the Preventers. As soon as everyone found out he had time away from work they began setting up meetings and interviews. For the first week, he was with Relena at her estate. The second week he was off planet, doing meet and greets, again with Relena. He called me the day he went back to work and said he would come by the hotel that night. He showed up four days later. There might have been more time, but Howard needed me on a salvage another team was moving in on."

"Heero probably had a good reason, Duo. He wouldn't forget."

"That's exactly what he did. Went home from work and fell asleep, exhausted from the busy schedule from the two previous weeks. I guess he realized it wasn't working, because he sent me an e-mail the next week, telling me he couldn't stay with me when I wouldn't confide in him."

For almost a year, Duo and Heero had been strained around each other. I had never understood why, but now I knew and felt sorry for them both. Duo had been willing to talk, but Heero hadn't been available, proving he wasn't worth talking to. A break-up email had to add insult to injury. "That was a shitty thing to do."

"Which part?"

"All of it, but mostly the email. He could have picked up the phone. It wouldn't have made it less painful but it would have been face to face, in a way."

"You're right. It's okay, I'm over it now."

The offhand tone has me lifting a brow at Duo. Glancing at me, he sees it and gives a short laugh. "Okay, I'm mostly over it. Better?"

"What bothers you the most about it?"

Although he's silent for a moment, I know he'll answer. "We could have been good."

"Would you want to try again with Heero?" Mental note to self: Bring duct tape next time I might be spending time with Duo.

"Nah. When it comes to relationships, I don't see the point of trying a second time when the first one failed so miserably. Besides, Heero and I are complete opposites. He wanted someone to depend on him, but only when it was convenient for him."

"What do you want?" I ask when he falls quiet.

"Someone to put me first in their head and their heart," he answers immediately. "I think it'd be nice to have someone I could count on, but not have to revolve my entire world around them. That doesn't make a damn bit of sense, does it?"

"You want to share a life with someone while still being able to have separate ones." I can answer easily, because it's always been the same thing I wanted with another person. "Someone to come home to or even work with as long as they aren't attached to you all the time; they would have to make time for you to be alone, but not so often everyone else fades away."

He stops and stares at me in wonder, "Are you in my damn head or what?"

"It's the same way I feel, Duo. Did you think you were the only one?"

Walking again, he gives a chuckle that holds no humor, "When I was with Heero, I couldn't get him to understand we needed time together that wasn't on the phone or in bed. Now that I think about it, we would have ended a lot sooner if it hadn't been for the sex. It was the only thing we had in common."

My feet get tangled briefly and I shuffle several steps before being steady again. His grin tells me he had hoped for that reaction or one like it. "Why do you say things to shock me?" I frown.

"It's fun seeing what surprises you. I didn't know you were such a prude."

"I am not a prude."

"Then why do you get all flustered when I bring up sex?"

"I don't get flustered." I am **not** saying that I keep imagining having sex with him every time he brings it up. The words Heero had teased me with are running through my head. Prude? Not even close.

"Do you like sex?"

"Of course." It's hard not to worry where he's going with this. As I've noted before, Duo thinks in strange ways.

"Want to have sex with me?"

Lucky for me, he's looking in front of us, so I have time to drag my jaw back up from the ground by the time he glances at me. I do manage to pull off a shrug that seems nonchalant. "I like to be in a relationship before having sex with someone, so it means something."

"What do you define as a relationship? We have a relationship, don't we?" I can't tell if he's trying to get a reaction from me or not, his face oddly blank.

"We have a working relationship and a friendship. We would have to date and learn more about each other before we would have the right kind of relationship. I don't really know anything about you, Duo. I know more than I did this morning, but that isn't enough."

"I guess sex is out, then. I've never been on a date."

Duo's damn off-hand statements are going to be the death of me. "You dated Heero."

His smile is quick and predatory, "I had sex with Heero on a semi-regular basis, but we never went out on a date."

"You never went out?"

"Not in public. Heero was horrified someone would see us together and recognize him. Can you imagine the headlines?" In the dim light, violet eyes are wide with false horror. After a second he gives a shrug, "It didn't bother me until our time together became so rare."

"How do you define a date?"

"Hell, I don't know, Trowa. I've never been on one, remember? I guess the cliché would be flowers, dinner, and a movie, but that wouldn't work."

It's the wistful quality to his voice that has me asking, "Why not?"

"Guys don't get flowers, do they? Isn't that kind of…girly?"

"I guess it depends on the flowers." Save me because I'm starting to get an idea in my head, one I'll probably regret, but this whole day is crazy.

Taking breaks, we walk for what feels like hours. Eventually, he tells me we should be nearing the exit point and I have to admit I'm not ready to leave the stinky, dank confines of the sewer. When we see the cover leading to the surface, I put the flashlight back in the pack and put it on, making sure he doesn't try to climb the narrow ladder with one arm and a heavy bag. "Are you leaving right away to go back to Howard?"

Tilting his head, he frowns as he gives it a shake, "I have two days before I'm supposed to go back. I hoped to do some sight-seeing. I haven't had any time off in a while."

"Are you staying at your usual hotel?"

"Room 634. Why?"

Smiling slowly, I wait until he carefully works his way up half the ladder with one hand to reply softly, "Just curious."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine. Somebody else's. There, I said it.

Warnings: Look in the first part. They're all there.

JUST CURIOUS – PART 3

I've most definitely lost my freaking mind. Not only did I spend the remainder of the day yesterday agonizing over my decision, I spent over an hour at the florist this afternoon, finally asking the poor woman that worked there what I should get for a prospective boyfriend. Instead of being repulsed, she thought it was sweet, saying more men should be as thoughtful.

I've lifted my hand twice to Duo's room door already, only to lower it again, hoping this is the right thing to do. My body says yes, my heart says yes, and my brain is running in circles trying to catch up with the rest of me while screaming 'Are you crazy?' What exactly do I expect to happen? We go out on a date and he suddenly decides he can't live without me? When has anything in my life been so simple?

Stranger to comrade. Comrade to friend. Friend to obsession. Obsession to desire. Desire to lo… Whoa! Getting way ahead of myself. I don't know what I feel, right?

Yeah, right. If I didn't know for certain what is inside me, I wouldn't be here, holding a bouquet of coreopsis in sweaty hands like I was picking up a prom date. If I walk away right now, he'll never know.

Then again, if I walk away, I'll never know, either. Can I live without knowing if we could have had a chance to be good together? Can I live wondering if I was the one he could finally open up to?

No. This is a step I have to take. I have to do this. Telling myself this, I force my hand up again; staring for a second when I see it's shaking and knock on the door. I then debate on running before it can be answered or groaning when it isn't answered within three seconds. I haven't made a decision when he opens the door, giving me a confused expression.

"Trowa, I thought you had to work today. Come on in."

"I took the day off." It's not worth mentioning I actually have two days off and then the weekend, and only after a lengthy battle of glares with Une. "I wanted to give you these," I say, shoving the flowers at him with little ceremony.

Duo blinks at me, large eyes going from me to the flowers and back at me. I have to stop myself from slapping my forehead and muttering an inane apology, something I have never considered doing in my entire life, as he looks back at the flowers again. It helps smooth my tangles nerves when a smile crosses his lips and he reaches for the bouquet I still hold awkwardly. "These are for me, really?"

"They aren't girly, like roses or pansies." Please, please let the floor open up and swallow me whole. "You said you've never been on a date before and I was wondering if you'd like to go see a movie." Did my voice just squeak? I never squeak, not since…well, never. I haven't been this nervous since I sat in Heavyarms for the first time, knowing if I screwed up I would be shot without hesitation.

Things go downhill when his smile falters. Duo turns away, searching in the small kitchenette for something to put the flowers in. Maybe I should have bought a vase, too. Realizing I've made a huge mistake, I start backing toward the door. "Never mind; I guess I inhaled too many sewage fumes yesterday."

"Did you do this because you feel sorry for me?" Duo's voice is so quiet I barely hear it, but I do stop my hasty retreat.

"Why would I feel sorry for you?"

"Because of the way things ended between me and Heero. I didn't tell you so you would feel sorry for me, Trowa."

"Heero was an idiot. I did this because I wanted to see you again." My face burns as he turns to look at me, eyes wider than before. Since my mouth has already run off without my brain, I might as well go on, but damned if I can look at him while telling him something so private. Looking at the floor, I say some of what's on my mind, a lot more than I planned to say to begin with. "I think about you. I've been thinking about you for some time. Yesterday was the first time we really had a chance to talk, but I want to know more. I want to know everything. I hoped if we spent more time together, you might be willing to give me a chance to prove I can be what you want."

"You realize my job takes up a lot of my time." Duo's voice is apologetic and his eyes resigned.

"So does mine, but we could work something out."

"Like what?"

Strangely, he actually sounds like he wants to know. Guess it's a good thing I've put a lot of thought into this. "You get vacation, don't you?"

"I'm supposed to get a couple of days each month, but I usually end up working for some reason. There hasn't been much reason for me to take any time off; vacations are boring as hell if you have to go alone."

"I have most weekends off. Depending on where you are, I could always come and see you. When you get vacation, you could stay with me if you wanted to. You could stay with me when you come to work with the Preventers. It would be better than staying in a hotel." If that's the best I can come up with, this is so screwed.

Sounding serious, he points out, "That would still mean we could only see each other a few days each month." Maybe my idea isn't so screwed.

Looking up from the horrid carpeting, I see he's moved closer and is watching me with a thoughtful expression. "We could talk on the phone when we can't be together. Besides, it's not the quantity of time together, is it? Isn't it supposed to be the quality? We could make every second count." I'm starting to feel an inkling of hope as he gazes at me, his eyes boring into me.

"What if things don't work out?"

For once I allow the hope I feel to show on my face. "At least we can say we tried, Duo. I don't want to look back in five or ten years and wonder what would have happened if we had tried. I don't think I can take that."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

He doesn't sound uncertain, exactly. He actually sounds wary, like he's afraid to hope. Screwing up all the courage I can claim to have, I move the last few steps toward him. Careful of his arm, bound in a real sling today, I put my hands on his face, making sure not to hit the bandage on his head. "Very serious. Will you take a chance with me?"

"Can a date be room service and a movie on TV?"

"You don't want to go out? I can make reservations for dinner."

"I think I'd rather stay in, if that's okay. Right now, I'm bound to gather a bit more attention than I like, considering I look like I got in a barroom brawl. We can go out for our next date?" he suggests, surprisingly shy.

"Going out for our next date sounds like a great idea."

EPILOGUE

"You seem to be in a hurry to leave. Big plans?"

"Duo's shuttle is supposed to land in a half-hour," I say quickly, shoving my laptop into my bag. I have a week off and plan to spend all of it ignoring anything that resembles work, but I take the computer because it has personal information on it. It's not wise to leave things like that where one of the world's best hackers has access to it. Although I would love to see Heero's face if he saw some of the pictures of Duo I have on there. Then again, maybe I wouldn't want to see Heero's face if he saw those pictures.

"Everything still working between you two?"

Of all the times for Heero to want to talk, this has to be one of the worst. I want to be there when Duo disembarks, just like I always am. "Things are working out very well. Honestly, things couldn't be much better. The only thing that could make it better was if we had more time."

"Why don't you transfer to where he is?"

Shouldering the strap of my laptop bag, I grab my jacket. "Because he's never in the same place for long." I've thought about it, a lot. If it was practical, I'd already be gone.

Leaning back in his chair, Heero tilts his head. "How long have you been together? Three years or four?"

"Five this weekend. I'll see you when I get back, Heero. Unless it's a matter of life or death, don't call me. Actually, don't call me unless you're already dead."

His laughter follows me as I rush down the hall, taking the stairs instead of wasting another second waiting on the elevator. Those that know me get out of the way as I hurry out of the building and enter the parking garage at a dead run, stopping abruptly when I see a certain braided man lounging against my car, smiling at me. "Going somewhere, Trowa?"

All the worries that plague me each time we're apart fall away in an instant as I see the pleasure on his face. It terrifies me to think one day he'll realize I need him so much more than he needs me, and he won't come back. For now, that concern disappears as he rushes into my arms. Helpless to resist, I tilt his head back for a deep kiss, one that conveys how much I've missed him these past two weeks, when he couldn't take time away from a salvage job. "I was coming to get you at the port. You aren't supposed to land for another twenty minutes."

"I took an earlier flight so I could surprise you."

It's clear how happy he is to see me, but there's something he isn't telling me, something that has the muscles in his neck and back tense. Maybe he's worried how I'll react to seeing him here? He's never met me here before, though we have rode to work together a number of times when Une asked him to come in. "You can surprise me like this anytime you want, Duo. I'm always happy to see you."

"You sure about that?"

So he's not worried about my reaction…not completely, at least. "What is it?"

Pulling away from me, he leans on my car and crosses his arms over his chest. It's a move he makes when he feels defensive and worries me again. Has he realized he doesn't want me anymore? "Well, you see, I took an earlier flight because I got a ride with some Sweepers coming in. They're a bit more relaxed about having certain items on a flight as long as they know the passenger."

"What kind of items?"

"Oh, you know. Guns, knives, explosives; that kind of thing."

I can't think of any reason for Duo to be moving his supply of weapons, unless there's a large assignment for Une I don't know about, which is unlikely, or… "Duo?"

"Howard had this brainstorm that it might be a good idea to let people get the deep-sea diving experience without them having to do any of the actual work. He bought a boat and is supplying it with everything needed to take tourists out for a few days at a time. Since Kip retired, he asked if I'd like to be the captain. He knows I wouldn't be able to find someone else I trust enough to work with and he doesn't want me going out alone. He didn't think you'd be too happy about that idea either. The thing is… the boat is docked about a half-hour from your house. I thought maybe it would be better if I just stayed there instead of staying on the ship all the time. It's probably an inconvenience for you to have me around all the time. If you don't want me there, it's no big deal."

He finally stops talking and stares at the ground in silence. It takes me a moment to separate the quick tumble of words but when I do manage my heart does a fast stutter. "You're moving in with me?"

"I know that it's short notice. We never really talked about something this big, not in detail or anything. I didn't know what to do, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind for a little while."

It isn't often I feel so happy that I could explode, my life's been a difficult one so that isn't a surprise. I don't know any other way to show how I feel other than to pick Duo up and kiss him, hard. When I finally let him go, I can see the shock in his eyes. "You want to move in with me?" I ask again, feeling the smile spread across my face, but unable to tone it down. "You want to move in with me."

"You don't mind I basically invited myself? I'm gonna be in your way, Trowa."

As he tightens his legs around my waist, I realize we might be giving the guys in security a show and then I realize I really don't care. "Do you think that worries me? You know I wanted more time with you. I always have."

"You probably didn't expect it to be so sudden."

Duo still feels unsure of me and how I really feel, just like I do him. Tilting his chin up I look deep into worried violet eyes, briefly glancing at the scar that skims his hairline from all those years ago. "It's been five years since our first date. Is that your idea of sudden?"

"Not really. Are you sure? I can be a grouch in the morning."

"You've stayed with me before. I've stayed with you. I think I know a few ways to put you in a better mood."

The light in his eyes changes from worry to lust. It's a strategic move on his part when he tightens his legs, bringing our bodies together. "You have any plans for vacation? I know you were going to be alone the last few days, but I suddenly have some time off and might have a suggestion."

I had no intention of being alone, as I had planned to go back with him the last few days of my vacation, but it isn't important now. "What do you have in mind?"

"The first tour isn't scheduled for at least a month, but the ship is prepped and ready to go. Want to take a ride somewhere, get away from everyone else for a few days? Howard suggested I take some time and get used to how she works."

"Is there going to be a large crew?" We make sure not to distance ourselves from our friends, it's important to both of us, but I want him to myself for a while. It's been weeks since we saw each other and it feels like a year.

"I think we can handle the ship ourselves. The food will be out of cans, but we'll manage."

"How long before we leave?"

"We need to stop at your house for a little while, but after that, we're ready to go."

"Our house," I say firmly. "We need to pack anything special?"

"Just some clothes; that's not what's going to take a while, Trowa. I need to clear my mind before piloting a ship." Duo's wicked grin tells me it isn't his mind he wants to clear.

Letting his feet touch the ground, I kiss him again then shove him into the car. My things are tossed carelessly in the back seat before I climb in, heart racing. Five years and I still can't wait to feel him against me.

When he grins over at me, I lift an eyebrow, already knowing he's laughing at my haste. "What's so funny?"

Laughing out loud, he shrugs, "Nothing much. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."


End file.
